🐾 Learn From Celebrity Dog Trainer And BBC Contributor Sharon Bolt
🌎 Trusted By Over 26,000 Students Across 175 Countries 🌎
Thank You! Your Three Tips To Help You Become A Dog Trainer Are On Their Way 🐾
Your three tips are heading to your inbox now, almost as quickly as a dog can sniff out a treat! Inside, you’ll discover three valuable ways to move from wondering where to begin to taking your first confident steps towards working with dogs.
If you want more than tips and would love a complete route to becoming a confident, knowledgeable dog trainer, my Become A Dog Trainer course is for you.
If you learn best by seeing how the job is actually done, you can watch real consultations with dogs and their owners as I assess what’s happening, decide what needs to change and explain the training in a way the owner can understand and follow.
I’ll guide you through the dog-training process step by step, from understanding canine communication and identifying what’s driving a behaviour to working confidently with owners and conducting effective consultations of your own.
Your three tips give you a valuable starting point. The complete course allows you to build on them with more in-depth training, real-life demonstrations and a clear path to follow, so you can begin moving towards the work you would genuinely love to do.
You can choose the Become A Dog Trainer course on its own or take the complete journey from dog lover to dog trainer with my Turn Your Passion Into Paid Work membership.
You’ll receive my complete Become A Dog Trainer and Build A Thriving Dog Business courses, along with a treasure trove of courses covering dog behaviour and training, health and wellbeing. Because the dogs you’ll be helping rarely have just one behaviour their owners would like to change!
You’ll also have professional resources at your fingertips, fresh monthly content, members’ Q&A videos, the chance to have an online consultation with me and a dedicated community where you can learn, share ideas and celebrate every exciting step forward.
You’ll also see the Get A Happy Dog Who Listens membership below. This is a separate option for dog behaviour and health training and does not include the Become A Dog Trainer course.
Have a look below to see how you can go from wondering whether you really could become a dog trainer to confidently helping dogs and their owners, and being paid to do work you love.
ONLINE COURSE: HOW TO BECOME A DOG TRAINER
If You’ve Always Loved Dogs, Here’s How To Turn That Into A Living
Start your own dog training business or side hustle, work flexible hours, be your own boss and spend your days helping dogs and their families.
I'll show you exactly how to run professional consultations, so you can walk into your very first client's home knowing what to say, what to do and how to run the visit from start to finish. You'll leave with owners singing your praises and recommending you to their friends.
Press play, I think this will sound very familiar 👇
Can you relate to this?
It's happened more than once, hasn't it? A friend watches you calm a dog nobody else could and says "You're so good with dogs. You should do this for a living." And every time, something in you lights up because, deep down, you've wondered exactly the same thing.
Then Monday morning comes around and you're back in a job that pays the bills but leaves you feeling empty, daydreaming about spending your days working with dogs instead.
Or maybe you're already walking, grooming, pet sitting or volunteering with dogs. You love the dogs you care for, and you know adding training would mean doing more of what you love and earning more from the clients you already have.
But every time the dream gets close, the doubts creep in.
Can I actually make money doing this?
Do I need expensive qualifications?
How would I even start?
You don’t need a perfect dog, a huge budget or years of experience to begin. What you do need is the right knowledge, a clear roadmap and someone in your corner who has already walked the path. Over 15,000 students have taken my two business courses, including ordinary dog lovers who started exactly where you are now and used them to help build their dream.
Or perhaps the biggest thing holding you back is your own dog.
You'd love to become a dog trainer, but you keep thinking, "How can I call myself a dog trainer when my own dog isn't perfect?"
"Who am I to help somebody else with their dog?"
If that's you, you can relax, because you're in very good company. I became a dog trainer because of two chaotic puppies I was told to rehome. I didn't start out with perfectly behaved dogs. I started with a problem I was determined to solve, and solving it is what taught me how dogs really think.
Of course, as a trainer your own dog does need to be a walking advert for what you do. But that's not where you start. It's where I'll help you get to, and a little later on this page I'll show you exactly how.
What you do need is the right knowledge, a clear roadmap and someone in your corner who has already walked the path.
I'll show you exactly what to say, what to do and how to run professional consultations, so you can confidently help dog owners, build a business you love and create a career that makes a real difference.
🐾 What You'll Learn in This Online Course 🐾
Simple, step-by-step videos showing you exactly what to do, so you can work with clients confidently and professionally from your very first booking.
🐾 Take A Look Inside The Course 🐾
The course guides you through everything step by step with video lessons featuring real consultations, real dogs and real-life situations.
You'll discover exactly what to do from the moment someone says yes to a consultation, what to send them, what to bring and how to structure the visit, so you're never left wondering what to do next.
You'll get my consultation form, confirmation letter, checklist and both agreement letter templates, the same ones I've used for over twenty years, ready to download and use straight away.
You'll hear my answers to the 20 questions clients ask most - ten about dogs and ten about puppies, so whatever comes up during a consultation, you'll have a confident, professional answer ready.
And you'll watch a real-life consultation from start to finish, seeing exactly how I assess the situation, build rapport and leave the owners feeling delighted, so when it's your turn, you'll know precisely what to do.
Imagine this...
It's the morning of your very first consultation.
You're not nervous, or at least, not in the way you feared. Your forms are printed, your checklist is ready and you know exactly how the visit will unfold, from the knock on the door to saying goodbye.
The owner welcomes you in, worried and apologetic about their dog. A few hours later, everything has changed. They're smiling with relief and they can't wait to practise everything you've shown them ready for when you come for your follow-up visit.
You walk to your car and sit for a moment, letting it sink in. The dog that met you at the door, barking, jumping, pulling their poor owner around, is now lying calmly at their feet.
The owners couldn't stop thanking you. You've just been paid to help a dog and their family. The thing you've dreamed about for years isn't just a dream anymore. It's real, and this is only the beginning.
And that's exactly what I want for you. Because once you know how to run a consultation professionally from start to finish, the fear of not being good enough fades, and what's left is the joy of doing what you love.
And here's the good news. You don't need to be perfect to start. Every trainer you've ever admired once knocked on their first door, and with the right roadmap, templates and support, you'll be more prepared than most trainers ever are.
This course works whether you want a full-time career, a side hustle alongside your job, extra income in retirement or to add training to the pet services you already offer.
Here's a lesson straight from the course, where I show you how to end every consultation on a high, so your clients feel supported, excited to get started and can't wait to recommend you.
🐾 Wags, Woofs & Words of Praise 🐾
Here's what people just like you are saying...
"I'm dyslexic and this course is bloody brilliant." - Listen to what Lizzie Hudson says below:
🐾 Choose The Option & Level Of Support That's Right For You 🐾
Whether you want to master the professional side of running dog training consultations, gain the knowledge and confidence to work with other people's dogs, or take the complete journey from dog lover to dog trainer, there's an option that's right for you.
Here's more about them...
This online course is perfect if the professional side of running dog training consultations is all you need. But...
This single course in OPTION 1 will make a huge difference to how prepared and professional you feel when holding consultations with clients, so many of my students have told me exactly that.
However, running a professional dog training consultation is one skill. Assessing the dog, explaining what's happening and showing the owner exactly what to do is another.
And for many people, the honest starting point is even closer to home.
Maybe the only thing standing between you and this dream is the feeling that your own dog isn't as well behaved, or as responsive to you, as you'd like them to be.
If that's true, you're right where many wonderful dog trainers started. As your own confidence grows and your dog begins to change, they'll become the best advertisement for your skills, your approach and the results you can help others achieve.
That's why I created The Good Dogs! Academy, and it's what you'll get in OPTION 2.
The Good Dogs! Academy is where you'll build the knowledge, confidence and practical skills to help dogs with all kinds of behaviour problems.
So before you decide, see if any of these sound familiar...
If it's just the consultation and professional side you need help with, then OPTION 1 has everything you need.
But maybe it isn't only the consultation side. Maybe you'd also love the confidence that comes from understanding how dogs really think and communicate, and learning kind and gentle methods that change behaviour without force or fear.
Inside The Good Dogs! Academy, you'll get every behaviour course I teach in one place, including lead pulling and recall, barking, aggression, puppy training, jumping up, separation anxiety and much more.
You'll transform your own dog, build the knowledge and confidence to help other people's dogs, and walk into every consultation knowing you have the skills to assess what's happening, explain it clearly and show owners exactly what to do.
If building your knowledge and confidence with dogs is what you'd like, OPTION 2 is for you. And if you want the complete journey from dog lover to dog trainer, OPTION 3 includes everything in Option 2, plus my complete dog trainer and business training.
So, let me tell you more about OPTION 2...
Imagine enjoying every part of life with your dog. Relaxed walks, peace when the doorbell rings, visitors you don't have to apologise to, and a dog who listens because they trust you and love being with you.
Now imagine that your dog responds to you, is beautifully behaved and a pleasure to take anywhere, which is the very reason people ask for your help with their dog. And this time you don't just have the answer, you're being paid for your skills and knowledge.
Because everything you learn inside the Academy does two jobs at once. Every course transforms your own dog while building the knowledge and methods you'll use with somebody else's, so there's no more second-guessing yourself or wondering what to try next, whether you're with your own dog or somebody else's.
🐾 Also Included in Your Membership 🐾
🐾 Fresh content every month, with extra training videos or seasonal advice to help you through everything from fireworks to summer heat. There's always something new to keep you one step ahead.
🐾 Methods that last a lifetime, so whatever a dog does, at any age, you'll know exactly what to do.
And as you complete your training inside The Good Dogs! Academy, you'll receive your own personalised Certificate of Completion, which is a lovely way to celebrate everything you and your dog have achieved together.
🐾 And There's Even More To Love 🐾
As if all of that wasn't enough, your membership also includes three special bonuses designed to give you even more support, guidance and confidence as you build a happy, healthy life with your dog and on your journey towards helping others.
Here's what's waiting for you...
Sometimes, all you need is the reassurance of knowing you're on the right track, from someone who's spent more than 20 years helping owners just like you.
As a member of The Good Dogs! Academy, you'll have two ways to receive my personal guidance, so you'll never feel like you're figuring everything out on your own.
🐾 Members' Questions
Some months, I'll answer a selection of members' questions on video, so not only could your own question be answered, but you'll also learn from the experiences of other dog owners and feel reassured you're doing the right thing.
🐾 The Chance of a Personal Online Consultation
Other months, one member receives a one-to-one online consultation with me about their own dog. The session is recorded and shared inside the Academy, so everyone can benefit from the guidance and apply the same principles to their own dogs.
If you're working towards helping other people's dogs, these sessions are gold. You'll hear the answers to the questions you're likely to be asked, and watch a real consultation unfold each time.
As I no longer offer private home or online consultations, The Good Dogs! Academy is the only place this is now available.
Owning a dog can sometimes feel lonely, especially when things aren't going quite as you'd hoped. But inside The Good Dogs! Academy, you'll always have people who understand exactly what you're going through. You're not alone.
Our private members' community, hosted on my own site, is a warm, friendly and supportive place where you can celebrate your successes, ask questions, share your journey and encourage other dog owners doing exactly the same.
You'll also find our special 'Wins Wall', where members share photos and videos of those wonderful moments that make all the hard work worthwhile, whether it's the first loose lead walk, a reliable recall or a peaceful afternoon without barking.
Because every success deserves celebrating, and it's so much more enjoyable when you've got a whole community cheering you on.
More and more owners are exploring raw feeding and natural approaches, and when you’re working with dogs, questions about food, itching, digestion, weight and general wellbeing often come up.
Inside The Good Dogs! Academy, you'll receive two complete online courses: one on raw and natural feeding, and another on natural remedies for dogs.
I’ll take you step by step through what I’ve learned from feeding my own dogs raw and caring for them naturally for over twenty years, so you can make informed decisions for your own dog and answer common client questions with more confidence.
You'll discover natural, gentle ways to help your dog:
🐾 Enjoy calm, settled tummies and better digestion.
🐾 Soothe itchy skin and have a glossy, healthy coat.
🐾 Support supple joints and easy, comfortable movement.
🐾 Reach a healthy weight and stay there.
🐾 Feel brighter, calmer and full of natural energy.
I always encourage you to work alongside your own vet too. Natural care and good veterinary advice belong together, not in competition.
"I really enjoyed this course because it definitely made this raw feeding process easier to understand. Previously I was at the mercy of internet websites to explain this and was completely lost by all of the somewhat contradictory info. I also appreciate all the info on where to go to find reputable info online. Thank you Sharon!"
Debra Callaway
"I've never felt good about giving my dog antibiotics and other medication but didn’t know what else to do. This has all changed for me as I now feel confident and knowledgeable to naturally treat my dog’s ailments and I have put my dog Jasper on a preventative course to support his joints as he’s getting older. I highly recommend this course."
Michael McDonald
🐾 Are You Ready For The Complete Journey From Dog Lover To Dog Trainer? 🐾
By now, you've probably realised that becoming a successful dog trainer has two sides.
There's the professional side - learning how to run consultations, use the right paperwork, work confidently with clients and build a thriving business.
And there's the behaviour side - understanding how dogs really think and communicate, learning kind and gentle methods that change behaviour, and building the confidence to assess dogs, explain what's happening and show owners exactly what to do.
OPTION 3, the Turn Your Passion Into Paid Work membership, brings both together.
In OPTION 3 you'll get absolutely everything in the Get A Happy Dog Who Listens Membership - every course, every bonus and all of my ongoing support.
Plus you'll get my two business courses: Become a Dog Trainer: Turn Your Passion Into Paid Work (yes, the very course at the top of this page) and How to Build a Thriving Dog Business.
Whether you're starting from scratch, adding dog training to the services you already offer or building a flexible side hustle around your life, you'll have everything you need in one place, along with my ongoing support as you grow.
But that's not all...
You'll also get two exclusive Pro bonuses, designed to help you turn your love of dogs into a rewarding career, side hustle or extra income doing something you love.
When you complete your business training, you'll receive your own personalised Good Dogs! Professional Certificate of Completion, recognising the skills, knowledge and commitment you've invested in building your future as a dog trainer.
While it isn't an endorsement or accreditation, it is proof that you've completed in-depth training with an established name in the dog world. It's something you can proudly display in your premises, add to your website or share on social media as you grow your business.
Building a dog business is exciting, but it can also feel overwhelming at times. That's why Pro members have their own private community, separate from the main Academy, where you can connect with others who are building a career working with dogs.
Share your ideas, celebrate your wins, ask questions when you're feeling stuck and learn from people who are walking the very same path. Whether you're just getting started or growing your business, you'll have a supportive community behind you every step of the way.
🐶 Here's What Students Say About The Dog Trainer Course...
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Aiden Morrison
“This course gives you all you need to know to become a successful dog trainer. I am retired and now train dogs in my community and customers come to me by word of mouth. Thanks to this course I’m making a lot of extra cash in my retirement.”
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Heather Herrera
"Sharon is an excellent teacher! Everything was very well explained and made simple. I learned so much and can't wait to get my business launched using her methods."
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Paul Smith
“I’m an experienced dog walker and pet sitter and am looking to add dog training to my bow. This has helped me to look at things from a different angle and I am currently using it with the dogs I walk and am getting great results. Thank you.”
Now that you've read about the three different choices...
🐾 Which Option Feels Right For You? 🐾
OPTION 1
Become a Dog Trainer: Turn Your Passion Into Paid Work Online Course
Single course, yours forever.
Best if you only want the professional consultation course, templates and forms.
£79.99
ONE-TIME PAYMENT
🐾 The complete course
🐾 All consultation templates, forms and checklists included
🐾 Lifetime access
🐾 30-day guarantee
OPTION 2
The Good Dogs! Academy
Get A Happy Dog Who Listens Membership
Best if you want to transform your own dog and build confidence with common behaviour problems.
For the first 25 Academy members only. Join now and keep this price for life.
£24.99
£19.99
PER MONTH
or £199 per year (Save £40 a year, 2 months free)
For about the price of one barista coffee a week, you could build the knowledge and confidence to work with any dog, starting with your own.
🐾 Every dog behaviour course, covering the problems clients will ask you about, and every stage of your own dog's life
🐾 New training videos or seasonal advice every month
🐾 No contract, cancel anytime
Please note: the Become a Dog Trainer course is not included in this option.
🎁 PLUS 3 SPECIAL BONUSES
🎁 Personal guidance from me - members' Q&As and the chance of a 1-to-1 online consultation
🎁 A friendly private members' community
🎁 Two complete health courses: Raw Feeding & Natural Remedies
MOST POPULAR
OPTION 3
The Good Dogs! Academy
Turn Your Passion Into Paid Work Membership
Best if you want the complete journey from dog lover to dog trainer, including behaviour, consultations and business training.
For the first 25 Academy members only. Join now and keep this price for life.
£34.99
£29.99
PER MONTH
or £299 per year (Save £60 a year, 2 months free)
That's less than £7 a week to build the skills and confidence to create an income doing what you love.
🐾 Everything in Option 2 - Get A Happy Dog Who Listens membership, including all 3 bonuses
🐾 Become a Dog Trainer course - the professional consultation course introduced at the top of this page
🐾 Build a Thriving Dog Business course
🐾 No contract, cancel anytime
🎁 PLUS 2 EXCLUSIVE PRO BONUSES
🎁 A personalised Certificate of Completion
🎁 A private community for dog professionals
There’s never been a better time to become a dog trainer. With so many dogs now living in family homes, the need for kind, knowledgeable trainers who can help owners with everyday behaviour problems has never been greater.
Whichever option feels right for you, the sooner you begin, the sooner you'll be confidently walking into your first consultation, knowing exactly what to say, what to do and how to help. And getting paid for doing what you love.
🐾 You’re Completely Safe Trying This 🐾
I want you to feel completely confident joining me, so there's no risk on your side. If you purchase a course and it's not right for you, just email us within 30 days and you'll receive a full refund - no awkward conversations and no hard feelings.
The memberships have no contracts or tie-ins. You can stay for as long as it's helping you, your dog and your journey, and if you ever want to leave, you can cancel yourself in just a couple of clicks.
You have absolutely nothing to lose, but a happier dog and a whole new adventure doing what you love to gain.
I can offer this guarantee with complete confidence because these are the same kind, effective methods I've taught to more than 26,000 dog owners in 175 countries.
They've helped everyone from busy families to global pop stars enjoy happier, well-behaved dogs, and helped thousands of dog lovers build the skills to work with dogs professionally.
🐾 Just In Case You're Wondering 🐾
By now, you probably already know which option feels right for you. But if there's anything you're still curious about, here are some of the questions I hear most often.
In the UK and US there's currently no legal requirement for a licence or formal qualification to work as a dog trainer, and the same is true in many other countries, though it's always wise to check what applies where you live.
What clients really want to know is that they're in safe hands, which is exactly why this course focuses on giving you real, practical skills, the confidence to back them up and a professional approach from your very first consultation. You'll also want the right insurance in place before you start, which is standard for anyone working with dogs.
You really can. Dog ownership has never been higher and so is the demand for kind, knowledgeable trainers. Some of my students train dogs full time, others run it as a side hustle around their job or family, and others use it to add extra income in retirement.
How much you earn depends on how much you choose to work, but the demand is real and it isn't slowing down.
Yes. Almost every trainer started exactly where you are, including me. You'll build your knowledge and confidence with your own dog first, then work with clients when you feel ready.
The Academy builds your skills with dogs and the course shows you the professional side, so you can do what you love and get paid for it.
Then you have your first success story. Most wonderful trainers started with a dog who tested them, that's usually what sparks the dream in the first place. Inside the Academy you'll transform your own dog's behaviour as you learn, and by the time you're working with clients, your dog will be the best advertisement for what you can do.
That's entirely up to you and the pace you want to go at. The consultation training, templates and forms are ready to use straight away, so some students take on their first client within weeks, while others take a few months to build their knowledge and confidence first. There's no rush, you move forward when you feel ready.
They are completely and utterly kind. There's no shouting, no forcing and no hitting, ever. Just calm, clear leadership that helps a dog feel safe and understood. It's the approach I've taught for over twenty years, and it's what your future clients will love you for.
Absolutely. It's all simple step-by-step videos you watch at your own pace, on your phone, tablet or computer, as many times as you like. You just log in with your details and it's all there waiting for you.
The course teaches you the professional side. You'll learn how to run consultations, use the right paperwork and work confidently with clients.
The Turn Your Passion Into Paid Work membership includes that course plus everything else. You'll get all of my behaviour courses, so you can help with any problem a client brings you. You'll also get both of my business courses, so you'll know how to attract clients and create transformational packages they'll happily pay for.
Plus you'll never feel on your own. Each month I answer a selection of members' questions on video, there's the chance of a one-to-one online consultation with me, plus a private community just for members building a career with dogs, so you can share your journey with people doing exactly the same as you.
If you want the complete journey, the membership is by far the best value.
If you buy the course and change your mind, there's a 30-day money-back guarantee. And the membership? Yes, you can cancel anytime. There's no contract and no tie-in, so you can cancel in a couple of clicks whenever you like, though I hope you'll love it and stay!
If you join as one of the first 25 founding members your price stays the same for as long as you're with us.
🐾 Meet Sharon Bolt - Your Trusted Dog Training Expert 🐾
In 2004 we brought home two Parson Russell Terrier puppies, brothers we named Basil and Jake. We were over the moon, but our excitement didn't last long, because every trainer I spoke to warned me I'd made a terrible mistake. Two brothers would constantly compete for the top dog position, they said, and sooner or later I'd have no choice but to rehome one of them.
I simply couldn't imagine giving either of them up.
Instead I set out on a mission to understand how dogs communicate, and how to guide them with calm, kind leadership rather than force or fear.
I'm so glad I did. I kept both boys, and Basil and Jake grew up devoted to each other, living happily together for the rest of their lives.
People couldn’t believe how calm and well-behaved Basil and Jake had become, and they wanted to know how I’d done it. The more I was asked, the more I realised these gentle methods could help so many other dogs and their owners, and that's how Good Dogs! was born.
That was over twenty years ago. Since then I've helped more than 26,000 owners across 175 countries, from everyday families to global pop stars, achieve calm, happy, lasting results with their dogs.
I've been a regular contributor to BBC Radio since 2008 and I'm a columnist for Edition Dog and Edition Dog Professionals. My advice has also featured on ITV, Channel 5, The Guardian, The Independent, the Daily Mail and many more.
These days it's Denzil, my rescue Staffy cross, who keeps me on my toes and reminds me every day that every dog deserves patience, kindness and someone who believes in them.
Whatever's brought you here, I'd love to help, because you really can turn your love of dogs into a living.
🐾 You Really Can Turn Your Love Of Dogs Into A Living 🐾
You've loved dogs your whole life. You're the one friends and family often turn to for help with their dogs, and you've always dreamed of working with them as a career.
But the doubts creep in. You wonder whether you could really make money at it, whether you need qualifications you don't have, and whether you can call yourself a dog trainer when your own dog still isn't perfect. And so it stays an unreachable dream.
But it doesn't have to stay that way.
Perhaps it was the standalone course that first caught your eye. But as you've read down the page, you may have realised what you really want is the whole journey - from understanding dogs and transforming your own, to confidently helping other people's dogs and walking into your first paid consultation knowing exactly what to say, what to do and how to help.
And this is a journey that's open to anyone with a love of dogs and a willingness to learn. Whether you begin with the Become a Dog Trainer course or choose The Good Dogs! Academy and continue all the way to your Professional Certificate of Completion, you'll have everything you need to build your knowledge, your confidence and your future as a professional dog trainer.
If you join The Good Dogs! Academy, you won't be doing it alone. You'll have the support of our private members' community, regular Q&A videos and even the opportunity for a personal online consultation with me, so whenever you need guidance, support or reassurance, it's there.
Because becoming a great dog trainer isn't about knowing everything from day one. It's about understanding dogs, building your confidence with every success and having the support to keep learning as you grow. Before long, you'll be walking into consultations with confidence, helping dogs and their owners, and building a career doing something you were meant to do.